Process of making potassium salts.



UNITED STATES Patented May 2, 1905.

AURELIUS J. SWAYZE, OF DANVILLE, NEW JERSEY.

PROCESS OF MAKING POTASSIUM SALTS- SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 789,074, dated May 2, 1905.

Application filed July 5, 1904. Serial No. 215,389-

To (LZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, AURELIUS J. SWAYZE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Danville, in the county of Warren and State of New Jersey, have invented a certain new and useful Process of Making Sulfur Compounds of Potassium, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to the manufacture of potassium salts, and has for its object the provision of a process for making such products from feldspar, gypsum, and a reducing agent which will be eflicient, economical, and easily carried out.

The process comprises the production of potassium salts in the form of sulfate and sulfid by fusing potash-feldspar with gypsumin contact with a reducing agent, as carbon in the form of coke or coal.

Potash-feldspar (orthoclase,K2OAl2O36SiO2) and gypsum (02.804) in the presence of a reducing agent, such as coke or coal, are fused in a blast-furnace. The materials are used in a crushed state, preferably about the size of pea-coal, and the furnace is of ordinary construction, except that the exit-pipe has water in the form of spray injected therein to wash out the volatilized products. The fusion of the materials will result in the production of potassium sulfate (K2504) and calcium-aluminum silicate,(CaOAl2O36SiO2,) and atahigh heat in the presence of the reducing agent the reduction of the sulfate to sulfid (K28) and the evolution of carbon monoxid(CO) is effected, theoretically the reactions which occur being substantially as follows:

K2OAI2O3GSiO2+CaSOT 630Al20368i02+12804 portion of materials is used, silicate of lime and alumina is produced, having two molecules of lime to replace one of potash.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. The process of producing potassium salts which consists of heating feldspar in the presence of gypsum.

2. The process of producing potassium salts which consists in heating feldspar and gypsum in the presence of a reducing agent.

3. The process of producing potassium salts which consists in heating feldspar and gypsum in the presence of carbon.

4. The process of producing potassium sulfate which consists in heating potash-feldspar in the presence of gypsum.

5. The process of producing potassium sulfid which consists in heating potash-feldspar and gypsum in the presence of a reducing agent.

6. The process of producing potassium sulfid which consists in heating potash-feldspar and gypsum in the presence of carbon.

7. The process of producing potassium salts which consists in heating in a closed furnace potash-feldspar in the presence of gypsum.

8. The process of producing potassium salts which consists in heating in a closed furnace potash-feldspar and gypsum in the presence of a reducing agent.

9. The process of producing potassium salts which consists in heating in a closed furnace potash-feldspar and gypsum in the presence of carbon.

10. The herein described process which consists in mixing in a crushed state potashfeldspar, gypsum, and a reducing agent, and fusing the same.

11. The hereindescribed process which consists in mixing in a crushed state potashfeldspar, gypsum, and carbon, and fusing the same.

12. The herein described process which consists in mixing in a crushed state potashfeldspar, gypsum, and a reducing agent, and.

fusing the same in a closed vessel.

13. The hereindescribed process which consists in mixing in a crushed state potashfeldspar, gypsum, and carbon, and fusing the ing the same, and collecting the volatilized po- 1 same in a closed vessel. tassium products in water.

14. The herein described process which In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in consists in mixing in a crushed state potashpresence of two witnesses.

5 feldspar, gypsum, and coal, and fusing the Sauna AURELIUS J. bWAYZE.

15. The herein-described process which Witnesses: consists in mixing in a crushed state potash- LAMONT D. GUERIN,

feldspar, gypsum, and a reducing agent, fus- R. S. MGCRAOKEN. 

